The Dallas Cowboys are preparing to take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football in Week 11. This will be the team’s first game since Marshawn Kneeland’s tragic passing earlier this month. The Cowboys had a bye in Week 10 and last played against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9.
Each NFL game in Week 11 held a moment of silence for Kneeland, and we now know what the Cowboys will do to honor their former edge-rusher.
How Are the Cowboys Honoring Marshawn Kneeland?
Kneeland was the first active NFL player to die since Minnesota Vikings rookie Khyree Jackson was killed in a 2024 car crash just months after being drafted.
The Cowboys will reportedly wear a decal on their helmets for the rest of the 2025 season, honoring Kneeland. The design has not yet been released, but the players will reportedly decide on it together.
Additionally, the players will wear shirts honoring Kneeland ahead of the Week 11 and Week 12 games. Week 12 will be the team’s first home game since Kneeland’s passing, and a video will also be aired before that game.
“We’ve got an incredible locker room, that’s where the culture of what we’re trying to build,” Brian Schottenheimer told reporters after the Cowboys returned from their bye. “We are bonded more than any of us ever could have thought.”
Kneeland was originally drafted by the Cowboys out of Western Michigan in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Kneeland played in 11 games with one start and collected 14 tackles, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits.
In 2025, Kneeland played in seven games with three starts. The defender had scored his first NFL touchdown just days before his untimely death on a blocked punt. Kneeland had 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack, and was a promising piece on the defense.
What Happened to Marshawn Kneeland?
Kneeland was found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the early morning hours of Nov. 6. Police attempted to perform a traffic stop on Kneeland earlier the same night but lost the vehicle after a pursuit.
READ MORE: Week 12 NFL Power Rankings: Broncos, Bills, Rams Victorious in Key Matchups
It has also been reported that Kneeland’s girlfriend contacted authorities, telling police the Cowboys defensive end had a history of mental health issues, was armed, and said he would “end it all.”
The NFL and NFL Players Association provided counselors to the Cowboys to help players deal with the news, and several players and coaches spoke out about the tragedy.
